Corey Stokes has a work-out with his hometown (sort of) team, the New Jersey Nets, this morning, and Corey Fisher has also been making the rounds, visiting multiple teams and showing them what he can do. Fisher looked like a potential first round pick at points during his career, especially after a great sophomore campaign where he won the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award. Corey Stokes also looked like a draftable player for a large stretch of the past season, when he became one of the team's most reliable and consistent scoring options.
The "burn" offense took the ball out of Stokes' hands, however, and his stock dropped. The late-season collapse did little to help rebuild Corey Fisher's reputation either.
At the current moment, there is no mock draft that predicts that either player will be chosen in the June 23, 2011 draft. Mock Drafts aren't the bible, however, and a good or bad series of workouts can cause players to rise up a draft board or drop like a rock off of the NBA radar. So which will it be for Villanova's class of 2011?
It is hard to tell from news reports how a workout actually went. NBA General Managers and scouts are hesitant to give away too much information about the players they like or dislike after getting a closer look. Both players are talented, however, and could have a role on a professional team -- even if that doesn't mean a starting role.
Both players, however, have had workouts with a number of teams. For the players likely to be picked early in the first round, a workout is not likely necessary to generate buzz about their talents, however, teams only have finite time and resources to commit to working out college players -- they don't ask kids they have no interest in to visit. A workout can also mean that the team is considering them as an undrafted free agent, however, though a strong performance could perhaps change that.
A player out of Villanova hasn't been drafted since the Trailblazers selected Dante Cunningham in 2009. It may become difficult to recruit elite athletes to the Main Line if the program doesn't have a reputation for producing professionals, and even a second-round selection would be a cause of celebration for Jay Wright's staff.
So will either Corey be a 2011 NBA draft pick? Draft experts seem to indicate they won't, but a second round selection for either would not be unthinkable.
In a draft with only two rounds, will either Corey be picked?